The Altair GPCAM2 IMX224 Colour camera has the sought after Sony Exmor IMX224 CMOS sensor, with high sensitivity, and extremely low read noise, possibly the lowest of any similar sized sensor. *

It can be used for solar, planetary, lunar “lucky” imaging as well as long exposure deepsky imaging and of course video astronomy. Time-lapse all-sky imaging (with optional meteor lens) is fully supported in the software.

Some interesting features of the IMX224 sensor, aside from very low read noise and high sensitivity, are a very high response in the red region of the spectrum making the camera very sensitive to red light for solar imaging, also a peak in all channels in the IR region which enables the camera to be used in mono mode, with a consistent response in all channels with an IR Pass filter - say for lunar or solar imaging.

Onboard buffering gives USB data transfer speeds significantly higher than the GPCAM1 series, pushing the USB2.0 format to the limit, yet within a stable envelope. This almost completely eliminates dropped frames, corrupted video, and enables faster more consistent frame rates, even with less powerful notebook computers.

The camera has an ST4 auto-guiding port, and can be used to auto-guide with mounts from all the major manufacturers supporting ST4 format, such as iOptron, Celestron and Skywatcher.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile small-format colour astronomy imaging camera with this price and features.

The camera can be fully controlled in AltairCapture and SharpCap to output uncompressed .AVI and .SER video files for solar system imaging, as well as all common still image formats such as .JPEG .PNG .TIF .BMP, to mention just a few. The GPCAM supports 8bit or 12bit output. The 12 bit output mode can be used for deep sky imaging with less frames needing to be stacked and a wider pixel intensity range. The IMX224 sensor is extremely sensitive in the IR region (for all pixels not just red!) and can be used effectively with IR Pass filters for solar and lunar imaging in mono mode.

What’s different about the GPCAM2 platform compared to the GPCAM1 platform? You’ll notice the GPCAM2 casing is larger than the GPCAM. This is to house larger electronics boards which support trigger mode and frame buffering as well as to increase the surface area for cooling. The GPCAM2 platform supports “Trigger Mode” to make long exposures of over 5 seconds easier to control. With most cameras, in normal video mode, you have to wait for an exposure to complete before the camera will accept, say a command to abort the frame, for say clouds, aircraft, or an alignment issue, like kicking the tripod and so-on, or for routine changes in gain, exposure time, , re-aligning or refocusing on the object. For long exposures, normal video mode is inconvenient, especially for video astronomy and deep-sky imaging, however in Trigger mode, you can stop the camera instantly (even if you are half way through a long 30 second exposure) change the settings, and re-start the camera looping again. The GPCAM2 also has an improved onboard frame buffer to improve data transfer stability at high frame rates (to reduce dropped frames) and to increase compatibility with a wider range of PCs. The improved buffers give a more consistent data transfer rate over USB2.0 and USB3.0 buses on laptops and desktop PCs.

Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909774369 or sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

The delivery times for most items is 1 - 2 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.

The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.

Please note that if you are wanting to take advantage of our Saturday and Sunday timed services or next day pre 12 or pre 10:30 services, you MUST check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. Also, orders using the Saturday and Sunday services must be placed before 2pm the previous working day. Also, please remember to check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. If the stock is not at the shop, we won't be able to ship on any of the timed services.

Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship telescopes or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.

If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.

Rother Valley Optics now have a loyalty point scheme active on the website. As you can see from the products, every item has a point value. Each pound you spend with us, you will receive 1 loyalty point. 1 point is worth 1p. You can accumulate these points as you shop with us, then when you are over £5, you can spend them on the website! Easy as that.

Even if you collect most of your items from our shop, you can still order via the website and select the "shop collection" delivery option. Then you can come to our shop, collect your item and still get your points!

Please note this scheme is online only. Customers who order via the telephone can still be added to the scheme manually. Please ask for more details on this. Before placing orders online, please make sure you are registered with us first otherwise your points won't be allocated.

So happy shopping and if you have any questions about the scheme or any other queries, please get in touch.

Rother Valley Optics

01909774369sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk

Finance is now available on most products above £250! We offer 12, 24, 36 and 48 months with a fixed 15.9% typical APR. Please note this can't be done through the website at this moment in time. You will need to email us or drop into the shop to sort out finance. As long as the item is above £250, finance is generally available!

Please note some items are NOT eligible for finance. Please contact us for eligibility first.

Please get in touch with us today to find out if you're applicable.

You must be over 18 years to apply, live in the UK, have a valid UK bank account and not be bankrupt. Your credit file will be searched on application to see if you are eligible.